The Sun. — London, England, 1838-06-28 00:00:00

CORONATION ANECDOTES. r.dapweit from a fittl• "Perk Willa " arpter *vs Cormatiose."l Ii fiks age of the Plantagenet!' and Tudors, stmi "Jailor the Stuarts, until the soronation of Jamas 11., it was c us t omar y f or th e ki ngs to reside in the Tower of London for some time previous to the coronation. On the Saturday before the coronation the sovereign wont from Westminster to the Tower of London, at- Unclad by great numbers of the nobility aad uvie dignitaries, and by those squires that were to be knighted, and who watched their arms that night. Each squire had a chamber allotted him, and a bath in which he bathed. The ensuing day after mar the sovereign created them knights. After their investiture they were permitted to sit down in the king's presentee, but during the whole time of dinner they were not allowed to partake of any part of the entertainment. The queens in their own right, Mary and Elimbeth, though they titled the swords on the knights with their own hands, did not give the accolade or blow, which is the determinate action that impresses tie character of knighthood. At both coro cations, Henry earl of Arundel performed this office. A copy of his appointment is to be fount( in Rymer. WILLIAM THI C•NQViItOII. After William had taken the coronation loath, to protect the church, prohibit oppres sion, and execute judgment in mercy, Aldred put the question, " Will ye have this prince to be your king ?" The people answered with loud shouts, and the noise gave so much alarm to the Norman garrison in the city, that the soldiers, believing the English to have revolted, without waiting to make any investigation, im mediately set the next houses on fire, which spreading and giving a general alarm, most of the congregation rushed out of the church, the English hastening to stop the fire, and the Normans to plunder. The bishops, clergy, and monks, who remained within the church, were in such confusion, that they were scarce able to go through the office of crowning the Icing; William himself, who saw the tumult, and could not conjecture its cause, sate trem bling at the foot of the altar, and, though no great mischief was done by the fire, it laid the foundation of a long and inveterate enmity between the English and the Normans. WILLIAM 11., RUIrUII. William 11. laid claim to the crown by virtue of a form of election ; the nobles believ ing that he would be less inclined to control their usurped privileges than his elder brother, Robert. He was crowned at Westminster, September 27, 1087, by Lanfranc archbishop of Canterbury, and the archbishop of York. Besides swearing to observe justice, equity, and mercy in all his conduct, and to maintain the pout*, lilserties, and privileges of the church, he promised that he would follow the arch biskop's counsels in his administrations. HENRY I. The coronation of Henry I. was performed is a hurried manner, on the fourth day after the death of Rufus. In every respect the forms of his coronation were the same as those of the Saxon kings. STIPHXN. The coronation of Stephen, after he had sworn allegiance to the empress Matilda, was viewed with great anxiety in an age when it was supposed that the punishment of perjury was immediate and visible. The ceremony was performed by William archbishop of Cants? Story; and it is said that a dreadful star* arose, which threw all the parties into sash confusion, that the consecrated wafer fell on ski round, the kiss of peace after the saarassast was ornitteil, and oven the anal ls•nosliesion forgetten. HINIT 11. Henry was crowned at Westminster on the Sunday before Christmas-day, ♦.D. 1154, by Thisbe.ld archbishop of Canterbury : although his hereditary right was unquestionable, he was formally elected by the clergy and people. It is said that Henry was crowned again with his queen, A.D. 1159 ; but this report arose from his haring worn the crown during the ceremony. RICHARD I. Duke Richard, having made all necessary preparations for his coronation, came to London, where he assembled the archbishops of Canterbury, Rouen, and Tours, who had given him absolution in Normandy for waging war against his father after he had taken the cross as a crusader. First, the archbishops, bishops, abbots, and clergy, wearing their square caps, and preceded by the cross and holy water bearers and deacons burning in cense, went to the door of the royal bed chamber, and led the duke in solemn pro cession to the great altar in the church of Westminster. When they reached the altar, Richard swore, in the presence of the clergy and people on the holy Gospel and the sacred relics, that he would observe peace, honour, and respect, all the days of his life, to God, holy church, and its ordinances. His attendants then stripped him to his trousers and shirt, the latter of which was left open between the shoulders en account of the anointing. Baldwin archbishop of Canterbury, who wore rich buskins of cloth of gold, then anointed the king in three places, on the head, between the shoulders, and on the right arm. A con secrated linen coif and a cap of estate were then placed upon his head, and he was vested with the royal robes, the dalmatic, and the tunic; the archbishop then delivered him a sword, to restrain the enemies of the church. Two earls then buckled on his spurs, and in vested him with the pall of state. After which Baldwin conjured him in the name of God, and forbade him to take the crown, unless he were firmly resolved in his heart and soul to observe all the promises to which he had sworn. The festivities were sullied by a sanguinary and disgraceful riot. Numbers of Jews had fl o cked to England in the reign of Henry 11., where they were honourably protected by that liberal and enlightened sovereign. Grateful for such unusual favours, they as sem bl e d at London to subscribe among themselves, in order to make Richard a splendid present on the day of his coronation. Unfortunately Richard was persuaded by some of the bigots who surrounded him that the Jews were aceua 101113ell to practise magic on sovereigns daring the time of the ceronstion, and he therefore rued an edict, prohibiting any Jew from en tering the church while the ceremony was per forated, ar appeasing at the palace during din ner. Cariosity overcame prudezice ; several of the moot conislerable Jews mingled with the e a * lir ri • gathered r o u n d t h e gates o f t h e of them, endeavouring to force an struck in the fac e by an over-seal 't* . - Alt ous Christian ; this signal roused the fanaticism of the multitude : a general assault was made upon the Jews, who fled in confusion towards the city. Some wretches, eager for plunder, raised a cry that the king had given orders for the extermination of the unbelieving Jews ; and, as this was by no means improbable, when the king was a crusader, it received im plicit credit. The city mob, swelled by the multitudes who had come from the country, attasked the houses of the Jews, which the in habitants defended with great courage and ob stinacy. The enraged populace, when night came on, finding that they could not break into the houses, hurled brands and torches on the roofs and through the windows. Conflagra tions burst forth in various parts of the city, which coraimed not only the houses of the Jews, but those of the Christians adjoining. Richard saluted several of the ringleaders and most notorious malefactors to be apprehended the next say ; they were hanged 24 a terror to others, a proclamation was ias*ed taking the Jews under the royal protection, and the tran quillity of the city was restored. JOllll. John ascended the throne, to the prejudice of the hereditary rights of kis nephew Arthur, by virtue •f a form of election. The arch bishops, bishops, earls, barons, and other the estates of the realm, being assembled in the church of Westminster, May t 7th, 1199, Hubert archbishop of Canterbury addressed them in these memorable words : " Hear all men I It is well known to your wisdom, that no man hath any right of succes sion to this crown, unless he be elected for his own merits by the unanimous consent of the kingdom, with invocation of the Holy Ghoit, after the manner and similitude of Saul, whom God set over his chosen people, though he was neither the son of a king, nor sprung of a royal line ; and in like manner after him, David, the son of Jesse ; the former because he was brave, and suited to the royal dignity, the lat ter because he was humble and pious. So that he who surpasses all within the realm in fitness for royalty should preside over all in dignity and power. But if any one of the family of the deceased sovereign should excel others, his election should be the more readily and cheerfully conceded. Wherefore, as our late sovereign Richard died without issue of his body, and as his brother, earl John, now present, is wise, brave, and manifestly noble, we, having respect both to his merits and his royal blood, unanimously and with one accord elect him to be our sovereign." This was the most decisive form of election since the Conquest. HZNIIT M. After the death of John, London being in possession of the French prince Louis, an assembly of the principal authorities was con vened at Winchester, under the presidency of Gualo, the papal legate. They unanimously resolved that the young king should be crown ed on the 28th of October, A.D. 1216. The ceremony was performed in the cathedral of Winchester. The papal legate compelled Henry to do homage to the holy Roman church and Pope Innocent for his kingdom of England and Ireland;—he also made him swear that he would pay an annual tribute of one thousand marks to the papal see. The ceremony of coronation was repeated by Ste.. phen Langton archbishop of Canterbury. Early in the year 1236 Henry married the lady Eleanor, daughter to the earl of Pro vence, whose beauty is celebrated by all the chroniclers. The ceremony of her coronation was per formed with extraordinary pomp on the 22nd of January. Holinahed's account of it will no doubt gratify our readers : " At the solemnitie of this feast anal corona tion of the quene, all the high peeres of the realm both spirituall and temporall were pre sent, there to exercise their offices as to them apperteined. The citizens of London were there in great arraie, bearing afore hir in so lenin wise three hundred and three score cups of gold and silver, in token that they ought to wait upon hir cup. Archbishop of Canter burie (according to his dude) crowned hir, the bishop of London assisting him as his deacon. The citizens of London served out wine to everie one in great plentie. The feast was plentifull, so that nothing wanted that could be wished. Moreover in Tothill-fields roiall justes were holden by the space of eight daies together." EDWARD I. On the 15th of August, 1274, Edward I. and his queen Eleanor were crowned at Westminster by the Archbishop of Canter bury, aided by other prelates. Holinshed adds some remarkable particu lars of this coronation : " At this coronation were present, Alexan der king of Scots, and John earle of Bretaine, with their wives that were sisters to King Edward. The king of Scots did homage unto King Edward for the realme of Scotland, in like manner as other the kings of Scotland before him had doone to other kings of Eng land, ancestoures to this King Edward. At the solemnitie of this coronation there were let go at libertie (catch them that catch might) five hundred great homes by the king of Scots, the earles of Cornewall, Glocester, Pembroke, Warren, and others, u they were allighted fro their backs." EDWARD H. Edward IL and his queen were crowned at Westminster on the 24th February. Holin shed informs us, " There was such premise and throng at this coronation, that a knight, called Sir John Bakewell, was thrust or crowded to death." The bishops also were incommoded, and forced to hurry through the service in a slovenly manner; and yet it was not concluded before three in the afternoon. EDWARD M. On the deposition of Edward 11., his son, prince Edward, was brought to a general as sembly of the nobles and clergy in the abbey church of Westminster, on the 20th of Janu ary, 1327, and Walter Raynold exhorted all present to choose the young prince for their sovereign. All assented; but the prince him self declared that he would not accept the crown until it had been Toluntarily resigned by his father. A remarkable coron tien medal was struck on this occasion : on one side the young prince was represented crowned, laying hie sceptre on a heap of heart, with the motto "Papas dat jara volestii" (1-le gives laws to a willing people); and on the other wee a hand held eat to Nave a falling crown,• with the motto, 4 , ItTais rapit, recipii4." (lie micas not, bat receiveL) THR SUN, LONDON, Trit/MIDAY I JUNII 118 0 1630. Rlcrusa.ll. The oaranatian of this king was more mag nificent than smy •f tke preoe4ling, The procession of the king froth the Tower to Westminster, on the day preceding the coro nation, is thus described by Holinshed The citie was adorned in all sorts' most richlie. The water-conduits ran with wine for the space of three hours together. In the upper end of Cheape was a certain castell, made with foure towers ; out of the which cas tell, on two sides of it, ran forth wine abun dantly. In the towers wore placed foure beau tifull virgins, of stature and age like to the king, apparelled in white yestares, in every tower one, the which blew in the king's face, at his approaching neere to them, leaves of gold; and as he approched also, they threw on him and his home counterfeit florens of gold. When he was come befere the oastall they tooke cups of gold, and, filling then► with wine at the spoils of the caste'', presented the same to the king and to his nobles. On the WI) of the castell, betwixt the foure towers, stood a golden Angell, holding a crowne in his hands, which was so contrived, that when the king came he bowed downe, and offered to him the crowne. In the midst of the king's pallace was a marble pillar, raised hollow upon steps, - on the top whereof was a great gilt eagle placed, under whose feet in the chapiter of the pillar divers kinde of wise came gushing forth at foure several places all the dale long, neither was anie forbideles to receive the same, were he never so poor er abiest." HENRY IV. Henry IV. was crowned by archbishop Fitz alan on the 13th of October, 1399, and on this occasion the ampulla was first employed. After Henry had gone to the Tower he created forty-six knights of the Bath, among whom were three of his own sons. The procession from the Tower to Westminster was unusually splendid, no less than six thousand horses having been employed on the occasion. Froissart gives the following account of Henry IV.'s procession. " The duke of Lan caster left the Tower this Sunday after dinner, on his return to Westminster ; he was bare headed, and had round his neck the order of the king of France. The prince of Wales, six dukes, six earls, eighteen barons, accom panied him, and there were of knights and other nobility from eight to nine hundred horse in the procession. He passed through the streets of London, which were all handsomely decorated with tapestries and other rich hang ings : there were nine fountains in Chetpside and other streets he passed through, th a t ran perpetually with white and red wines. The whole cavalcade amounted to six thousand horse, that escorted the duke from the Tower to Westminster." HINRY V. Henry V. was cremned OR the 9th of April, 1413. Katherine of France, the queen of Henry V., was crowned on the 24th of Fe bruary, 1420 ; the account which Holinshed gives of the magnificence displayed upon this occasion is far too characteristic of the age to be omitted. " After the great solemnisation of the foresaid coronation in the church of St. Peter's, at Westminster, was ended, the queene was conveied into the great Hall of West minster, and there set to dinner. Upon whose right hand sat, at the end of the table, the archbishop of Canterbury, and Henrie sur named the Rich, cardinall of Winchester. Upon the left Land of the queene sat the kin of Scots in his estate, who was served wit h covered messe, as were the foretold bishops, but yet after them. Upon the left hand, next to the cupboord, sat the maior and his bre thren, the aldermen of London. The bishops began the table, against the barons of the Cinque Ports; and the ladies against the maior. These, with others, ordered the ser vice ; and, for the first course, brawne in snus tard, eeles in burneur, pike in herbage, faissent with balien, lamprie powdered, trout, codling, plaice fried, martine fried, crabs, leech lam bard flourished tartes, and a device called a pellican, sitting on hir nest with hir birr m, awl an image of St. Katharine holding a lsooke, and disputing with doctors. " The second course was, gellie 'coloured with columbine flowers, white potage sr creame of almonds, breame of the sea, conger, chmtea, barbill and roch, fresh salmon, halibut, Vir nard, rochet broiled, smelts fried, crevis or lobster, leech-damaske, with the king's poesie flourished thereon. , c The third course was, dates in compoot, creame motle, carpe deore, turbut, tench, pearch with goion, fresh sturgion with wells, porperous rosted, crevesse de eau doure, prams, eeles rosted with lamprie, a leech, called the white leech, flourished with hawthorn leaves and red haves ; a marchpane garnished with diverse figures of angels." HZNIT VI. Henry VI. was crowned at Westminster, Nor. 6th, 1429, being then only in the ninth year of his age. The coronation feast Wag celebrated at Westminster with great splen dour. In the first course, Fabian tells us, there were, among other royal viands, " Bore hedes in castellys of gold and enarsned," " Cus tard royall, with a lyopard of golde syttyng therein, and holding a floure de lyce." The pageant for this course was, " A sotyltie of Seynt Edwarde and Seynt Lowys armed, and upon eyther his cote armoure, holdyng atwese them a figure lyke unto Kynge Henry, stand ynge also in his cote armoure, and a scripture passynge from them both, sayiage,— , Beholde II perfyght kynges under one cote armoure.' EDWARD IV. The monarch had his title confirmed by the forms of a popular election. Immediately after his 'victory over Henry VI. he came to London, and returned thanks to God at St. Paul's church. He was then condu c t e d in solemn proc ess i on t o Westminster, a n d p l ace d on the King's B en ch, in the Hall, w hi c h was filled with people. It was then demanded of the commons whether they would accept this prince to be their sovereign; to which all assented. He was crowned by archbishop Bouchier, June 49th, 1461. EDWAZD V. Preparations were made for the coronation of Edward V., but the barons and commons refused to accept any of the late king's sons as their sovereign, and tendered the crown to Richard duke of Gloucester. RICWAI M. Richari 111. and hi" queem, Ann*, dan te-r to the earl of Warwick, were onowne4l on the sth of July, 1483, " with the wife was provision." Nays Grafton, " that w as a pp a i a t e 4 for tine ceranstion of hie nepkew." The king and (peen receivel the sacrament front tko hands of the cantina' archbishop of Canter_ 'bury, and one host, sr cansecratei wafer, Ivor divided Lot an gum. HENRY VII. • Henry VII. wa►s crowned October 30th, 1435, and his queen, Elisabeth, October 30th, 1487. The latter was remarkable for the procession by water from the palace of Green wich to the Tower, instead of from West- . miaster, as was usual. The queen was escorted by the lord mayor, sheriffs, and the heads of the different companies in their state barges, richly ornamented with silken pennons and streamers, and also with the banners of the different trades, on which their arms were em broidered in gold. One of these barges, called the bachelors' barge, contained an extraor dinary pageant, an enormous red dragon which spouted streams of fire into the Thames. When the glees rolls through the oily es the follow ing day, choirs of children dressed am =gals were 'taloned in different placed', who nag iyeased and eons ea she passed by. HIWILY VIII. Henry VIII. waa extremely feud of pe: vestry, and ke was particularly anxious alsoat the ceremonials of his coronation. The Londoners seconded his desires, and when, after haying created twenty-four knights of the Bath, ke rode through London from the Tower, June, 22, 1509, the streets were hung with tapestry and cloth of arras, and a great part of the south side of Cheap and part of Cornhill were hung with cloth of gold. The several companies and civic dignitaries lined the streets; and Hall tells us, " The goldsmiths' stalls unto the end of the Old Change, being replenished with virgins in white, with branches of white wax ; the priestes and clearkes in rich copes, with crosses and censers of silver, ceasing his grace and the queene also as they passed. The queene Katherine was sitting in hir litter, borne by two white palfries, the litter covered and richlie apparelled, and the palfries trapped in white cloth of gold ; hir person apparelled in white satin imbroidered, hir haire hanging downe to hir backe, beautifull and goodlie to behold, and on hir head a coronall set with manic rich orient stones." The coronation was celebrated with brilliant " just. and turneies," which the king and queen witnessed from "a_ faire house covered with tapestrie." EDWARD VI. Edward VI. was crowned February 20th, 1546. "He rode through London into West minster," says Holinshed, " with as great roialtie as might be, the streets being hung, and pageants in divers places erected, to testifie the good wilder of the citizens. . . . As he passed on the south part if Paule's churchyard, an Argosine came from the battlements of Panic's church upon a cable, being made fast to an anchor by the deane's gate, lieing on his breast, aiding himselfe neither with hand nor foot, and after ascended to the middest of the cable, where he tumbled and plaied many prettie toies, whereat the king and the nobles had good pastime." At this coronation, when the three swords, for the three kingdoms, were brought to be carried before him, the king observed, that there was yet one wanting, and called for the BIBLZ. " That," said he, "is the sword of the spirit, and ought in all right to govern us, who use these for the people's safety, by God's appointment. Without that sword we are -..uthing: we - can do nothing. From that we are what we are this day . . . . we receive whatsoever it is that we at this present do assume. Under that we ought to lire, to fight, to govern the people, and to perform all our affairs. From that alone we obtain all power, virtne, grace, salvatien, and whatsoever we have of divine strength." QUIRN MARY. Mary, the first female sovereign of this realll, was crowned en the lit of October, 1 553; by Stephen Gardiner, bishop of Win chester, the archbishops of York and Canter kary being then prisoners in the Tower. On the last day of September she went in state from the Tower to Westminster in an open chariot, drawn by six horses, covered with cloth of tissue. In a second chariot came the princess Elisabeth and the lady Anne of Cleves ; the ladies in waiting rode upon horses covered with trappings of crimson vel vet and satin. Three pageants were erected in Fenchurch-street by the Genoese, Easter ling, and Florentine merchants. Among the city pageants, the moot remark able was that of St. Paul's cathedral, thus de scribed by Holinshed :--" There was one Peter, a Dutchman, that stood on the weather cock o f Paul e 's steeple, holding a streamer in his hand of five yards long, and waiving there of, stood sometimes on the one foot and shooke the other, and then kneeled on his knees, to the great marvell of all people. He had made two scaffolds under him, one about the crease, having torches and streamers set on it, and another over the ball of the crane, like wise set with streamers and torches, which could not burn, the wind was so great. The said Peter had sixteen pounds, thirteene shil lings, four penile for his costes, and paines, and all his stuffe." The conduits ran with wine, and, when the civic authorities received the queen at Cheape, the chamberlain presented her with a purse of tissue Containing a thousand marks in gold. ELIZABETH. Speed's account of the procession of queen Elisabeth contains some particulars "too re markable to be omitted. All things in Tell dineSae, upon the fourteenth of January, with great triumphes and sumptuous shewes, shee passed thorow London, towards Westminster, to receive her imperiall crowne; but before shee entered her chariot in the Tower, acknow ledging that the seat was God's into which g hee was to enter, and shee his vicegerent to wield the English sceptre; in that royall as sembly, with eyes and hands elevated to heaven, upon her knees, she prayed for his assistance, as golomon did for wisedome when he tooke the like charge ; with a thankfull re membrance unto God for his continued pre servation, who had brought her thorow great dangers unto that present dignitie." She was crowned the 25th of January, 1555, by Oglethorpe bishop of Carlisle, the see of Canterbury being vacant by the death of Car dinal Pole. Holinshed says that she com posed th• follswiag prayer as ohs went to ker corosuatios : _ ;‘ 0 L•Pil Maigieti e salt Everlagiiiitg God, I give thee mast heartie thanks that th - ott bait ' Deese os aserciall kap me, as to spare ate so this isifall Anis. Awl I abanswleige AMU taw L as t alit as wcikilsrfallio, sosi surcifsliit will ate, as twos 'Las with thy tram anti faithfull aerraat Ds iell, Illy pinked, whom* Amps lielivereit sat tlie lias from site sruallie of tits grosy amal yeariag lions. Evan so was I overwhelmed, and scaly by thee de livered. To thee, therefore, e*elie be thanks, honor, and praise, for ever. Amen." JAVIIS I. The ceremonial for the coronation of James I. was prepared under the superintendence of that monarch, and displays many marks of the pedantry and extravagant notions of the royal prerogative, which form so large a portion of his character. He created two earls, ten barons, sixty-two knights of the Bath, and conferred the honour of knighthood on about four hundred gentlemen. CEARLICS I. The cerenatiin of Charles I. was delayed until the sth if Feloruary, 1626, in c.onsc- Lueues of the plague, whigh th en re i gne d i n oudon. The principal novelty was the in troduction of the following clause is one of the prayers : " Let hiss obtain favour for thy people, like Aaron in the tabernacle, Elisha in the waters, Zacharias in the temple. Give him Peter's key of discipline and Paul's doc trine." in the year 1633 Charles I. went to be crownel king of Scotland at Edinburgh. He was receired with great splendour, and sere .ral pageants were prepared to honour his re ceptiou. The most singular was a triumphal 'arch, under which a mountain was raised in . the form of a theatre, upon which sat a nymph, representing the Genius of the city o f Edin burgh. " Shoe was attired in a sea-greene velret mantle ; her sleeves and under roabe of blew tissue, with blew buskins on her feete ; about her necke shee wore a chaine of dia monds, the dressing of her head represented a castle with turrets, her locks dangled upon her shoulders.' She was attended by Reli gion, " all in white taffeta, with a blew mantle seeded with starres, and a crown of stones on her head, to shew from whence she is," lean ing upon a shield, and trampling beneath her feet Superstition, represented as a blind old woman, covered with rags. On the left hand stood Justice, in " a red damaske mantle," trampling upon Oppression, represented as " a person of fierce aspecte, in armes, but broken all and scattered." CMARLES 11. Charles IL, haring been invited to Scot land by the Presbyterians, was crowned at Scone, January 1, 1651. On this occasion a most extraordinary sermon was preached by " Master Robert Dowglas, minister at Edin burgh, moderator of the General Assembly, from 2 Kings xi. verses 12-17." The preacher delivered a fierce philippic against the young king's father and mother, the latter of whom he compared to the wicked Athaliah. When the ceremony was concluded, " the minister spoke to him a word of exhortation ;" that is to say, a long oration, scarcely less offensive than the sermon. ►JAMXI H. James's coronation, April 23, 1685, Was eelebratml with so much splendour, that it ren dered him for a considerable time popular in London. The most remarkable anecdote con nected with the solemnity is, that, on the king's return from the Abbey, the crown tottered upon his head, and would have fallen off, had not the Honourable Henry Sidney . supported it, saying, " This is not the first time our fa mily have supported the crown." WILLIAM AND MART. For the first time in England both the king and tho gueen were crowned as sovereigns. The soremonial was ♦ery stately and cold ; it t..k plate Olt th. 11th of April, 1689, the bishop .f London .lciating instead of the archbishop of Canterbury (Sancrolt), whet scrupled t. place the crown upon the head of sovereigns who claimed it by a parliamentary title, and not by hereditary descent, and what he called divine right. Aix'. Anne was crowned April 23, 1702; her husband, prince George of Denmark, was present, but took no prominent part in thelce remony. The queen gave the kiss of peace to the archbishop and the other prelates ; but, when the temporal peers did their homage, they only seemingly kissed her majesty's left cheek. As parliament was sitting, galleries were provided for members of the House of Commons, both in the Hall and the Abbey, and a sumptuous dinner was prepared for them in the Exchequer Chamber. GIORGE I. George I. was crowned at Westminster, October 20, 1714, with the usual solemnities. The king did not understand English, and few of those around him could speak German, so that the ceremonies had to be explained to his majesty in such Latin as those near him could command : this gave rise to the popular jest, that much bad language had passed be tween the king and his ministers on the day of the coronation. GEORGE 11. George IL and queen Caroline were crown ed October 11, 1727, with the usual solemni ties, but nothing occurred to give any variety or interest to the scene. GEORGIC 111. George 111. and queen Charlotte vrerA crowned the 22nd of September, 1761. In the Gentleman's Magazine for I 764 p. 28, is an extract from a letter addressed to the duke of Devonshire, which echitains the following singular anecdote :—" The young Pretender himself was in Westminster Hall during the coronation, and in town thetwo noarmthereoef dmary. s Brown. before A and i erit, under gentleman told me so, who saw him there, and who whispered hi his ear, Your royal highness is the last of all mortals whom I should expect to see here.'—' It was curiosity that led rne,' said the other : but I assure you,' added he, that the person who is the cause of all this pomp and magnificence is the man I envy the least !' " When the champion cast down his gauntlet for the last time, a white glove fell from one of the spectators, who was in an elevated si tuation ; on its being havided to the champion, he demanded, " Who was his fair foe ?" The glove was said to have been thrown by the y oun g chevalier, who was present in female attire. GIORGI! IT. The esroaation *f George IV., which took place •n July 19, 1821, was the most splendid ever seleisrated is England. A special act •f parliament was passed t• enable the duke •f Norfolk, who was a Ro mn Cathelis, t• perform the functions •f sari marshal en the slay •f this •erensti•a. H• t also, as premier -peer of England, returaed., thanks for the soilkitign when tie king's health , was toasted by the peers. During the coronation feast the king ac knowledged the different services performed according to ancient usage very gracicysly - , save only when the cup of wine was presented by the lord mayor and citizens of London. His majesty treated these gentlemen with marked coolness, and did not acknowledge their service by any salutation. The account of this coronation given by Sir Walter Scott is so &raphic and lively, that we think it will gratify our readers to insert an abridgment of it. • The effect of the scene in the Abbey was beyond measure magnificent. The altar sur rounded by the fathers of the church—the king encircled by the nobility of the land and the councillors of his throne, and by warriors, wearing the honoured marks of distinction bought by many a glorious danger—add to this, the rich spectacle of the aisles crowded with with waving plumage, and coronets, and caps of honour, and the sun, which brightened and saddened as if on purpose, now beaming in full lustre on the rich and varied assemblage, and now darting a solitary ray, which catched. as it passed, the glittering folds of a banner, or the edge of a group of battle-axes or parti zans, and then rested full on some fair form, the cynosure of neighbouring eyes,' whose circlet of diamonds glistened under its influ ence. Imagine all this, and then tell me if I have made my journey of four hundred miles to little purpose. " The box assigned to the foreign ambas sadors presented a most brilliant effect, and was perfectly in a blaze with diamonds. When the - sunshine lighted on Prince Esterhasy, in harticular, he glimmered like a galaxy. An onest Persian was also a remarkable figure, from the dogged and impenetrable gravity with which he looked on the whole scene, without ever moving a limb or a muscle during the space of four hours. Like Sir Wilful Wit woud, I cannot find that your Persian is ortho dox ; for, if he scorned everything else, there was a Mahometan paradise extended on leis right hand along the seats which were occu pied by the peeresses and their daughters, which the Prophet himself might have looked on with motion." But, in truth, the only interesting spectacle connected with this feast was the c hallenge of the champion, which is no w not only unmean ing but illegal ; for it is dir e ctly c ontrary to the statute abolishing wager of battle in all cases whatsoever. WILLIAM IV. The arrangements for the coronation of William IV. and Queen Adelaide were a compromise between economy and parade. The procession from the Hall to the Abbey: and the coronation feast in the Hall, we re omitted. The popular enthusiasm was greater, however, than on any former occasion. The new entrance to St. James's Park was opened for the first time, and in the evening the me tropolis was universally illuminated. The very lanes and alleys tenanted by the poor classes were lighted, to testify the loyal affection of even the humblest for " the sailor king." VALUE OF THE CROWN JEWELS• The ruby in ft,. otcatc us---ndura AE 10,0001., and the aqua marina, which forms the mound, is still more precious. When the notorious Colonel Blood had nearly succeeded in stealing the crown from the Tower, the ruby fell in the struggle, and was not recovered for several days, when it was picked up by a poor old woman who was sweeping: a cro ssin g' The values of the other jewels have not been aseertained, with the exception of those in the crown worn by the queen consort on her turn to Westminster Hall, which have been estimated as follows : Twenty diamonds retina the circle, 15064 each 4, .C 3 0,2,12 Tire large *entre diamonds, 20004 each . . 4 iv" lifty-four smaller diamonds placed at th e an gles 100 if the former . . . . . . Your crosses, each composed of 25 diamonds . . 12,Ig n ° Four large diamonds on th e t o p s o f th e crosses • 40, 00 v Twelve diamonds contained in the deur delis • 10, ,t 0 , c a ) Eighteen smaller diamonds contained in the tame s, ooo Pearls, diamonds, &c., on the arch e s a nd cr osses . 10,500 One Lendred and forty-ene dianton ds on the mound 4 .- Twenty-six diamonds on the otter cross . . 3i"" Two errcles of pearls about the rim . . . . £111,900 CORONATION ROBE. The ancient coronation robes which were destroyed in 1649, do not appear to have boo very valuable, if we may judge from the enu meration given of them by the parliamentary commissioners, from which we have - before quoted. In their report we find the follow ing " Inventory of the Regalia, now in West minster Abbey, in an iron chest," where they were formerly kept. One comae' taffaty robe, very old, valued at . 0 10 0 One robe keed with goald lace, valued at . 0 10 0 One silver cohered silk robe, very old, and worth nothing One robe of caimson taffaty sarcenet, valued at One paire of invoking, cloth of silver and silver stockings, very old, and valued at . . 0 2 6 One paire of shoes ef cloth of gold at . . „ 0 3 0 One paite of gloves, embroidered with gould, at 0 1 0, Three swords with scabbards of c l o th o f gou ld, a t 3 0 One old comb of horns, worth nothing . . . 0 0 0 Totall in the chest . 4 10 6 The comb, which is here dismissed so con temptuously, was supposed to have belonged to Edward the Confessor, and was used in the ancient forms of coronation, to smooth the king's hair previous to the anointing. KINGS-AT-ARma. The dresses of the kings-at-arms,: herald', and parsuivants, add considerable splendour, to the ceremonial of a coronation. The kings at-arms wear tabards, or surcoats of velvet and cloth of gold, on which the royal insignia are emblazoned; these tabards resemble sleeveless gowns in form, but they are fur nished with wings, which fold over the arms. They wear also collars of SS, that is, composed of links shaped like the letter S, made of silver gilt, with badges at the centre, containing the shamrock, rose, and thistle, enamelled in their proper colours. They are also entitled to wear coronets, or plain circles of gold, de rated with sixteen upright leaves, ei g ht of - which are long, and eight short. So import ; ant was the office of king-at-arms anciently held, that a solemn ceremony was appointed for their inauguration. In fact, it was the mimicry of a royal coronation, except that the *notion was performed with wine instead of oil. In Scotland, Sir David Liadesay w crowned Lyon king-of-arms by his sovereign with the ancient crown which the monarc wore losioro they assamod a close crown, A. V 1592 Langan: Priabeil and ily MURDO yOuNG, of Ne. 112, Straml, at Tke Sem Office, N.. 112, Vtg ll " , sia tie Homy if htiiiikesi..—Thenday, June a, 1630.